


His Shield

by Ryu_Reikai_Akuma



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 14:05:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1651307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma/pseuds/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was Kili's first guard job and he was determined to prove himself to Thorin and Fili. It wasn't so easy to achieve that, however.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Shield

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Threat
> 
> To be completely honest I'm not used to finishing, editing, and posting a fic in one week. I usually sit on my fics for weeks because I'm not easily satisfied with my works. So, I hope you'll like this!

Much to Kili’s annoyance, he was the only one Dis constantly warned and reminded to keep safe. Not even Fili received the same treatment and Kili knew that he had been injured in the past (mostly from friendly spars gone wrong rather than enemy attacks but the point was he had been injured!). Barely a single day went by without her reminding him of what he must and must not do and even challenge him to a fight so that he wouldn’t forget his learning. So, naturally, when he heard of the plan to transport items to another town, he immediately offered his service. He wanted to experience actual work as a warrior and a guard. After all, he was supposed to protect Thorin. How could he perform that responsibility if he only ever swung his sword against stationary targets?

It was an easy work of guarding several products from Thorin’s business to sell in another town. They didn’t carry much, only two carriages of metal goods which, while didn’t worth quite as much as jewelries, were still valuable It wasn’t exactly the kind of adventure Kili had been wanting, but he took the opportunity nevertheless. He had had enough of patrolling Ered Luin where the greatest action he experienced was separating drunken brawls. He suspected his mother and Thorin had a hand in deciding his dull assignments but he never found evidence for it.

But while he was given the chance to actually apply his skills, Kili was disappointed that he would still be under the close supervision of his brother and uncle. When Fili had gone on his first assignment years ago, only Dwalin had been there and, knowing the warrior, he likely didn’t stick to Fili’s side every second of the day as Fili was doing to Kili now.

“Stop it! I’ll be all right!” Kili insisted, scowling deeply at his brother when their group stopped for lunch. Fili had lectured him in front of the whole group about how much food was appropriate to be eaten and the troubles of eating too much or too little in such a journey, much to Kili’s embarrassment.

“I know you’ll be,” Fili said although his behaviors showed the complete opposite of his words.

“Then stop following me around!”

“I’m not following you.” Fili denied.

“You are!” Kili retorted, his voice rising with his temper.

Loud footsteps stopped what would be an argument between the brothers. Kili and Fili looked at Thorin guiltily as the tall dwarf approached them. While he didn’t look angry, he didn’t seem particularly pleased that some members of the group were fighting, either.

“What’s wrong?” Thorin asked, frowning at his nephews. Fili knew how to coax the truth with words, but Thorin’s eyes had potent influence of others, making them yield to his will with just a look. Kili was no exception.

Kili ducked his head, avoiding Thorin’s eyes. He had come here to make Thorin proud, not to annoy him. Fili occasionally received compliments from Thorin, but Kili only ever seemed to be a burden to him, constantly causing concern even when he didn’t get into any trouble. It didn’t mean that Thorin treated him badly. He was only almost as overbearing as Fili but in a different way, and he was definitely harder to handle. “Nothing.”

Beside him, Fili nudged his side gently. Thorin didn’t like being lied to and it’s always a good idea to avoid his wrath. “We’re only having a discussion. We’re sorry to disturb you.”

Kili frowned. Why did Fili always come to his rescue? He could handle this himself! Even if it meant facing Thorin’s anger, he should be allowed to defend or explain himself with his own words instead of using someone as his mouthpiece.

“Discussion, was it?” Thorin said, clearly skeptical, looking back and forth between his sister-sons to wait for them to give a more satisfying answer.

“I told Fili to stop fussing over me,” Kili said, glaring at his brother.

Thorin looked at his nephews with slightly raised eyebrows. Fili looked a little exasperated that his attempt to control the damage was spurned but Kili was determined to handle the situation in his own way. Hadn’t everyone told him to be more mature and responsible? Then why wouldn’t they let him do it?

Unexpectedly, Thorin’s expression gentled. “I’m sure he only means well. Listen to your brother.”

Kili turned his attention to Thorin angrily, feeling betrayed. He had expected Thorin to support him. He had always been strict about commitment to duties and reminded Fili of his future in many occasions. Kili didn’t have as much expectancy placed upon him, but he intended to carry out the duties he had. So, While he was aware of Thorin’s far more lenient treatment toward him, he didn’t expect to receive it this time-especially this time! “I am perfectly able to take care of myself!” He said to Thorin.

“We know that,” Thorin said. Although, just as Fili, he seemed unconvincing in his words. “But you still have much to learn.”

“I am learning! Isn’t it why I’m here? To practice what I’ve been taught? And how do you expect me to fulfill my duty in protecting you when you always keep me away from these things?”

Thorin took a deep breath to calm himself (beside Kili, Fili shifted closer, as if to protect him in case Thorin failed to control his temper) and then smiled at Kili kindly. Kili had seen that smile many times before and unlike his fondness to Thorin’s other smiles, he hated that one. It was always given to him when Thorin made decisions against his will for him. “I’m glad that you take your duty seriously but these real-world practices are not easy. We’re here if ever you need help.”

Kili gritted his teeth. When Thorin reached out toward him, he moved away. There were some choices of words he wanted to say, but neither was suited for the setting. Kili stood up, threw one last angry glare at the older dwarfs and walked away. If Fili wouldn’t leave him alone and Thorin allowed it, then Kili would stay away from them.

* * *

After the argument, Fili and Thorin kept their distance from Kili. They’re still watching him closely-Kili could feel their eyes on him when he was chatting with the other guards or helping with tasks such as collecting firewood-but they never intervened, which pleased Kili. It was true that he still had a lot to learn and his experience was very lacking, but he would love to learn more from people other than Fili and Thorin.

He did, however, miss their companionship. While Fili was still nearby, they didn’t talk as much as before and although the lads were kind and fun, they didn’t get along with or know him Kili half as well as Fili did. He missed their perfect understanding of each other’s character, how sometimes they only had to look at each other to know what’s on the other’s mind. There was also Thorin who, although had almost always been a distant figure, never failed to show his attention to Kili. For him to only watch from afar and didn’t comment or even chide was a strange turn of event Kili never realized he never wanted.

Many times he thought of starting conversation with either of the dwarfs but he didn’t know what to say, after all he had been quite rude and admittedly immature toward them. An apology was in order but Kili couldn’t decide when to do it and how. He knew himself well enough that the scenarios he had crafted in his mind would likely only ended in further arguments. Kili sighed dejectedly, wishing, not for the first time, that he was as gifted with words as Fili was.

A loud neighing of a terrified pony broke the peace. The guards were immediately alert. Kili could see Thorin jumped off his pony at the very front of the small group and immediately followed suit. He glanced around for Fili and immediately moved closer to him as he drew his sword. His heart pounded his ribcage as he scanned the area.

“Robbers!” Thorin shouted in warning.

Chaos quickly took over the group. Seemingly out of nowhere, a band of men surrounded them, brandishing crude weapons to intimidate the dwarfs. But if they had underestimated dwarfs only because they’re taller, they would be very surprised. Dwarfs were formidable fighters and this group in particular had one of the best warriors Middle Earth had ever seen.

Despite not having experience in real combat, Kili didn’t have any difficulty in adjusting himself. Shooting arrows was quite easy as he often went on hunts. If anything, it was easier here because human moved slower than animals. He managed to shoot down a couple of the robbers before the rest of them descended upon them.

Kili let his instincts led his movements. Thinking too much of what to do next would only slow him down and this time, unlike in training, his life was actually at risk. The fact that he didn’t have to hold back was a new dimension, however. It was strange to have his sword cut through flesh and bone rather than wood and the blood and screams were unlike anything he ever imagined. However, there were more urgent things to think about.

Thankfully, Fili didn’t seem to have any problem with handling the bandits. His double swords easily defeated the robbers’ poorly made weapons. However, what they lacked in weaponries, they made up in number. It was apparent that this was a staged attack. They had been prepared for professional dwarf guards to protect the goods and brought everyone they could find to evenly matched the dwarfs’ expertise. Kili inhaled sharply when a dwarf fell to the ground, blood gushing freely from a large open wound on his chest, the first casualty from their side and likely not the last.

_Thorin!_ Kili’s mind screamed. He fought his way to his uncle’s side with Fili not too far behind him. He was relieved when he found Thorin uninjured, his battle experience clearly outdoing any of their attackers’. Still, it wasn’t a reason to neglect duty. Kili stayed near him to fend off the robbers who had realized that Thorin was the leader and most formidable dwarf in the group and decided to try to defeat him first.

From the corner of his eyes, Kili could see that a couple more of their companion had fallen. They were increasingly outnumbered. The enemies, sensing the growing weakness, charged on, swinging their swords and spears at the dwarfs. Kili grunted in pain when a blade cut his arm through his clothes. The stinging pain slowed him but he had no time to wait for it to recede. He wasn’t half as skilled as Thorin was and his youth barely made up for what he lacked, but he was determined to do what he could to protect his uncle.

A few more minor wounds were inflicted on him but Kili’s grip on his sword was steady though blood of his enemies had made his hands a little slippery. On his side, Thorin seemed to be faring much better than him and a little further away Fili seemed to be the same. Between the three of them, they had managed to scare away some of the enemies, leaving only those who were too badly injured to run and the stubborn ones who were determined to steal the goods at any cost.

A man stood out from amongst the robbers. Kili knew just from a quick look that this man was like most other men who randomly swung their weapons in hope of causing some kind of injury on their enemies. He looked confident and dangerous. He carefully aimed and timed his attack, when Thorin was distracted and had his back turned toward him.

Without thinking, Kili threw himself between the man and Thorin. He used the attacker’s shock to charge toward him. The man recovered in time to block his sword and attacked Kili, but the dwarf wasn’t intimidated, focused solely on keeping the robber as far away from Thorin as possible. He heard his name being called behind him but he didn’t pay attention to it. As he had predicted, the man was skilled, knowing well how to use his old weapon to create maximum damages. Within only minutes of fighting him, Kili received numerous cuts, some deeper than others. Only adrenaline saved him from experiencing the full effects of his wounds. Kili was forced to use all his strength to block the man’s blows and prevent him from pushing Kili back and closer toward Thorin. However, although he was skilled and powerful, he was still no match to a trained warrior and a king’s shield. With a shout, Kili leapt forward and swung his sword to cut the man’s torso. Blood sprayed him as he gasped for breath, wobbling slightly on his feet in exhaustion and pain.

The death of the robber drove away the rest of the attackers. They fled the scene, abandoning many of their friends to death. Kili scanned the forest, his bloody sword held tightly in his hands, waiting to see if they would return. After a couple of seconds of nothing but distancing footsteps, he gave in to tiredness. He fell to his knees and closed his eyes, panting. He did it. He had fulfilled his duty.

* * *

Fili’s hand wasn’t as gentle as a healer’s, partly because he wasn’t happy with Kili’s lack of concern for his well being, but Kili held his tongue. His brother was obviously worried, even putting aside his own injuries to tend to him. There was time to point out that Kili was perfectly able to handle the situation Fili and Thorin had desperately tried to prevent, but it was later, when things had calmed down and they were in safety.

“How many did we lose?” Kili asked. They had been in such a rush to leave that he hadn’t paid much attention to his companion. He looked around them, at the tired and pained faces of dwarfs he had grown close to, and noticed some missing ones.

“Five. They were great warriors but there were so many of the robbers,” Fili replied grimly as he tied a bandage around Kili’s arm. “Is it too tight?”

Kili shook his head. “No. Are the goods safe?”

“Yes. They never even had the chance to touch the carriages.”

“That’s good,” Kili sighed in relief.

This seemed to annoy Fili somehow. The urge to defend himself rose within Kili, but he reminded himself that Fili was only concerned for him, even though Kili didn’t fully understand what he was worried about this time. Weren’t they already free from mortal dangers? Fili didn’t seem to notice this and glared at Kili but before he had the chance to chide, Thorin appeared beside them.

“Fili, go treat your wounds,” Thorin ordered. He himself had sustained minor injuries which didn’t seem to affect him in any way. When others had taken off some layers of their clothing and armors due to their wounds, he still had his thick coat, breastplate and vambraces on.

“But Kili…” Fili started, glancing at the numerous cuts on Kili he hadn’t tended.

Thorin grabbed the bandages and ointment from Fili. “I’ll do that. Aren’t you also injured? You should have someone examine you.”

Fili looked back and forth between his brother and uncle. Eventually he decided to obey though not without obvious hesitation. He kept throwing back glances at Kili as he went to the healer of the group.

Kili sat up straighter, nervous, as Thorin sat in front of him and began inspecting his wounds. For a moment, the king said nothing, but Kili knew better than to think that this was because he had nothing to say. He wouldn’t have sent Fili away if he only meant to tend Kili’s wounds. So, Kili watched Thorin in trepidation, although the tall dwarf didn’t look back at him.

“How are you feeling?”

Kili thought of it for a moment. “Good.”

Thorin looked at Kili closely, not fully believing him although he had told the truth. Aside from injuries (which hurt but were nothing he couldn’t bear), Kili felt surprisingly all right. He had worried he would be more disturbed by his first kill, but he wasn’t. It was simply part of his reality, an unavoidable life aspect for a warrior he had trained to be. Seemingly understanding this, Thorin nodded slightly and returned his attention to the wounds. Kili knew better than to assume the conversation was over, however.

“That was thoughtless of you to stand between me and the robber,” Thorin began after a long moment of silence, his deep voice cold. “You could have gotten killed.”

Kili instantly tensed. He fisted his hands and steeled himself to keep his eyes on Thorin. “ _You_ could have gotten killed.”

Thorin lifted his eyes to meet Kili’s. “I can take care of myself.”

“You didn’t see him coming,” Kili pointed out. “I did and I wasn’t far from him. I couldn’t just stand still and let him attack you.”

Thorin held Kili’s gaze for a moment. With a nearly inaudible sigh, he lowered his eyes. He gently stroked a small cut on Kili’s neck. It wasn’t deep as Kili managed to move away just in time and it had stopped bleeding even before they settled to treat their wounds, but the area was still sensitive and Kili shivered when Thorin touched it.

“You could’ve gotten killed,” Thorin repeated quietly, his eyes and voice darkened by fear and regret.

“Better me than you,” Kili said without thinking.

Thorin frowned at him. “Don’t say that.”

Kili shrugged carefully, minding his injuries. “You’re the King under the Mountain and I am your shield. I must not stand quiet when there’s threat upon you and if that costs me my life…”

Thorin’s frown grew deeper. While he said nothing, he gripped Kili’s hand tightly to stop him.

When he continued talking, Kili made sure his voice was softer, kinder. “You always tell me to mind my obligations, so let me do this. Let me learn so I can be your shield.”

Thorin looked down and shook his head slowly, as if in regret. “It is not my shield that I want you to become,” He said so quietly Kili almost didn’t hear it. When he looked at Kili again, his smile was so bitter that Kili turned his hand so he could hold Thorin’s hand back. This seemed to comfort Thorin whose expression lightened. “Stay close to me.”

Kili frowned, mildly frustrated. “Thorin…”

“No. Stay close to me,” Thorin said again, looking deep into Kili’s eyes.

It took a few seconds for the meaning of those words to sink in. When he finally understood, Kili gaped in surprise and for a moment he forgot his pain in his gladness. Unable to find something to say that wouldn’t embarrass himself completely, he nodded in response. Pleased, Thorin returned to the task at hand, cleaning then treating Kili’s wounds. When he was finished he stood up and surveyed the groups.

“Come. Keep your sword near you. We still have a way to go.”

Kili scrambled to stand up and followed Thorin. For the rest of the journey he stayed near the king or at least keep his eyes on him. Fili and Thorin still worried over Kili, but they allowed him to decide his own actions, their confidence in him growing. As they made their way back to Ered Luin, Kili rode his pony a few steps behind Thorin’s right side while Fili was on Thorin’s left. He studied the imposing and proud figure of the king and thought of the reputation Thorin had built and the bright future which awaited him. It wouldn’t be easy. Erebor was half a world away and there were many greedy enemies, but Thorin would never give up and so neither would Kili. He brought his pony closer to Thorin’s, prepared to once again protected him from any danger if need be. This was where he should be.


End file.
